THE BLOG

Have you ever attended an event and thought about what it takes to run it? I never really thought about everything that goes into any event I have attended until I had to start putting them together myself.

2018 marks my 3rd Cheyenne Frontier Days. This year I have had the opportunity to see a tiny little bit of what happens behind the scenes during the 10 days that CFD runs for.I am completely amazed by the community support that goes into running and executing the whole event. There are so many people in our community that volunteer their time all ten days to make sure that every pancake breakfast, parade, rodeo, concert, and all the other events, go off without a hitch (or at least any hitches that the public can see.) That takes some serious dedication (and honestly, lack of sleep) to pull off. I am super proud to be a part of this community here in Cheyenne.

A virtual high five to all of those people who have dedicated their time, blood, sweat, and tears to a great 2018 CFD experience!

The time of CFD (or Cheyenne Frontier Days) is here. The city of Cheyenne will be busier, bustling with multiple activities downtown and at the Frontier Park. If you need something to do, please read on:

Don’t forget about the parades and pancake breakfasts that go on during the next week as well.

If you need a quiet place to work during the day while you are in town, go here and fill out a request for a Free Day Pass to our coworking space. We will happily help you get some work done amidst all the fun you will have.

New or old, I’m sure we all have questions on co-working that we never quite got around to learning or asking. Either by the shame of thinking we should know better, or we keep forgetting. Here are five myths about co-working that hopefully clear any questions that you have! Also if you do have any questions at any time, ask me or Stacy! It might seem silly but I assure you, I have a million questions all the time and I’m sure Stacy would be relieved to get asked a question by anyone but me for once!

Myth #1: Coworking is only for freelancers, entrepreneurs, and startups. First and foremost, co-working is all about the collaboration and community surrounding it. If you own your own business, work from home, or work for a major company, co-working spaces have amenities to accommodate various needs. It’s been a huge movement lately for large companies to allow telecommuters, for example, to work out of office. Why? Because co-working spaces offer companies (large or small, self-started or years strong), an opportunity to explore virtual working options and flexible schedules for its employees.

Myth #2: All co-working spaces are the same. This may come as a bit of a surprise, but co-working spaces are actually very different. Depending on location, ownership, and even the city, co-working environments can not only look but feel like a completely different world, even if they’re right down the street from each other. They cater to the different needs of that area and also the clients they want to attract. Places like The Second Floor get their ideas from observing their surroundings, like seeing so many people working in a cafe, and getting a lightbulb idea of how to help those around us. Look around and find the right co-working space that vibes with you. Although we’d like to think of ourselves as good vibe kings.

Myth #3: Co-working spaces are noisy and distracting. Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, most co-working spaces are geared to both. The open space is inviting while also welcoming the collaboration of those in it. Need to think on your own? Don’t want people asking you for help today? There’s some really cool things called, noise canceling headphones. Headphones can give off some serious, “I actually really have to focus today so please don’t bother me” signals. But keep in mind the whole point of co-working is to get together and brainstorm with people with all kinds of backgrounds. At the same time, we also understand when you need your own space.

Myth #4: I can’t work at a co-working space, there’s no room to grow my business. If you’re seeking a co-working space to get out of home or out of the big office, you should have no fret of this. There are those of you though, that are just starting up and want to look for the big picture. A big office, next to a cafe/bakery, and successful enough to make a living but not too much to where you don’t know each of your customers personally. We can appreciate the desire for more and starting small is a good option, but some co-working spaces do have the option of private offices to grow your business into. And of those, there are only a handful (if any) that are above a coffee shop. So if you’re looking to grow your business into a professional setting that you don’t think an open co-working space could give, just keep looking, its here somewhere…

Myth #5: It’s just like renting an office. Though having your own office would be great (as we just talked about), seeing the same people at work everyday can get a little tiring or aggravating when trying to come up with new ideas (don’t lie we’ve all disliked the people we worked with at one point or another). Co-working can give you the office feel, minus (some) distractions, and new faces to spice up your work week. It has the capability of producing ideas to grow your business you may never have been able to dream of kept in an office all day.

Now that I just told you to keep your eyes off the social media rampage, let’s explore the ideas on how to use social media (remember my tips from before if you’re an addict, or maybe you just shouldn’t read this at all) to help promote your job, work events, and even run surveys to see what your customer really wants. Who doesn’t know that the times are turning to technology? In order to keep your business successful, it seems that becoming a part of the technology times is a must. From Facebook updates to promoting new merchandise on Instagram, when your business name gets Googled what does your customer first see? Is it appealing and well versed or just thrown together hoping for the best?

Who’s your target audience? Different social media platforms have different audiences, yes it’s true. Facebook is for your “to the point but curious” customer. The ones who want to know what’s going on in their community but also doesn’t want to be streaming through a million Twitter feeds. Facebook is a perfect way to promote events going on in your community and keep up with the new assets your business provides. When creating events on Facebook not only is it convenient for your customer, but it’s an ease on you. You can see who is planning to attend the event, giving you the ability to prepare for the amount of people, well as the the capability to morph your event to the audience coming.

What says a thousand words? A person…. but also a picture. Instagram is the perfect way to display to the online community what your business does. You can do this in a silly or serious way depending on the mood your business has. Either way you have to make sure you have fun. If you’re promoting a new product make sure to sound like you’re excited about it, and don’t sound like you’re just trying to get sales (though that’s the whole point of a business). Customers enjoy the genuine feeling of the posts and the thought that you have great products without talking your bum off trying to convince them they’re great products. Make sure when you post a picture the lighting is good, the environment is nice and tidy, and that it has relevance to your business. Pictures taken in dark, dirty, and irrelevant ways do not appeal to your customer. Would you want to go to a restaurant that displays their food on dirty plates, with dirty tables, and poor lighting that you cant tell if that sandwich has micro-greens or mold…

Want to know what your customers think the next featured cocktail for your lounge should be? Twitter is there for you. The perfect platform for you to post surveys and have people vote for what they really want. Not only will that make them happy if their choice wins, but then they’re more involved in your business. What customer doesn’t enjoy when their voice is heard? Also it takes a load off your shoulders if you can’t decide between this or that.

There are obviously other social media platforms for you to promote your business on, but these are the top ones to get your feet wet until you feel comfortable running five to six different accounts (or you have the finances to hire someone to do it for you)!

I’m sure we can all agree that getting through the work day without checking social media is nearly impossible. Unless you don’t have social media – then you are a lucky soul. Being a social media addict, especially at work is just not cool. Here are some tips that I follow to keep my social media curiosity to a minimum at work.

The first, fastest, and easiest way to cut out that Facebook feed is to turn off your notifications. Yes, it is that easy. Out of site out of mind, get it? This way, when you check your phone to see what time it is, you don’t have to see those annoying notifications that just tempt you to open them. Because if you do, you go down a spiral of doom and get trapped in the abyss of Facebook videos.

The second most effective way to get your eyes off that screen is to become more organized! At the beginning of your work day, make a list of everything you need to do and make sure you mark them off as you go. The idea of this is that you’ll be too focused on what needs done that you’ll forget all about Stacy’s cool post on Instagram. Let’s be honest, we get on our phones and scroll social media for the sake of procrastinating or curing boredom. If you use this list to remind you of all the things you need to do to, it will help keep you on track.

Thirdly, the final step in quitting social media during the week is…. log out. Log out and make sure that your password and username is not presaved into the app (because gosh that’s just not safe you’re gunna get hacked). Just think that the extra five to ten seconds it takes for you to type in your info (if you remember it) to log back in is just too much work. It’s always a super annoying task to do so just leave it for when you get off.

Who knows maybe all these tips will make you quit social media all together. But then you’ll never know about the awesome Family Feud compilation of Steve Harvey’s most awkward moments. Well maybe we don’t want to completely quit, but let’s take it down a notch.

Do you know what’s the worst holiday in my opinion? Mother’s Day. Why? Because there’s nothing a gift can buy that will make up for all the crap your mom has helped you through. But, let’s try to keep positive here and think of things you can get, or even create to make this holiday special. Also, I know you’ve all been super busy working through the week, and boy have you guys drank a lot of coffee because of it (and we hope to see you at Karaoke to help relieve more stress!). So here’s so options that you can get quickly before the big day.

Now there’s a few things you must ask yourself before deciding on what to get. What’s your price range, what are you willing to do, and what does she REALLY like. Sure flowers and a card made her cry last year, and the year before, but let’s be honest, Hallmark did all the work for those tears.

Let’s start with your price range. $10-$20? $20-$50? $50-$100? Or no budget at all? I’ve got some suggestions that can be done in a few hours and within your spending limit. Also, keep in mind the greatest gifts aren’t always expensive, so even if you have the money to spend, it’s what comes from the heart that will really make her happy.

On a budget? The $10-$20 range. What about a “bouquet” of her favorite candies? You can always get large bags of chocolate or candy for a very affordable price, then you just need a vase (perhaps the one she gave you a few years ago when you moved out that you know you’ll never use [or Dollar Tree is super amazing]), and just some kind of sticks to tape the candy to (I recommend going to your favorite Chinese food place and asking for extra extra chop sticks, hopefully they won’t care). Put it all together and shaboom, an affordable gift she’ll never forget.

Do you kind of have money but kinda don’t? The $20-$50 range. Want to do flowers but in a unique way? Go to your local hobby store (Michael’s or Hobby Lobby work) and find those large metal letters. Get some that spell out MOM, LOVE, or if they have shapes a simple heart will do. Go to the fake flower section and get some simple flowers like carnations, sunflowers, and daisies. Also get some of that weird green styrofoam stuff. Cut and shape the green styrofoam into the metal shapes of your choosing. Next cut the stems of the flowers just over two inches and stick them into the foam. There you have a personalized flower arrangement that wont ever die.

Are you in the $50-$100 range? If so this recommendation is for you. A nice, not cheap bottle of wine and new accessories to go with is a good route to take. You of course have to know what wine she prefers, have it be a Claret or a Zinfandel, make sure to get the right one – yes it does matter. You can find some nice wine options close by at the Paramount Ballroom! Then get some wine glass charms for when she has friends over so they know whose glass is which. Perhaps a nicer set of wine glasses would be appreciated for the avid wine drinker. Wine bottle bags are also a necessity and cute wine stoppers will hopefully get her to limit herself to a few glasses (rather than trying to finish the whole bottle so the wine doesn’t go bad), it’s a win-win.

Now for you budget-less folks out there, what does a girl really want? Jewelry, sometimes a kitten, but usually jewelry. Where can you get amazing, unique jewelry in Cheyenne? There’s a cluster of jewelry stores in the Frontier Mall where you can hop around and find yourself the best deal in one place. If you are looking for a more personal touch and want to go local, Teton Jewelers and Bohemian Metals are also great options. Make sure to keep in mind what does your mom really wear? Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, if you aren’t sure, look at some pictures, there should be some hints somewhere. Then give the gift to her over dinner, she will cry, or I will give you a money back guarantee. JK.

Today on How To Meal Prep, I’ll be suggesting easy ideas on how to keep yourself on track and out of that slow moving fast food drive thru. Believe me, the meal prepping train is hard to stay on but with the right motivation I know we can do it together!

The first thing you might be wondering is, why is meal prepping so important? Well, in the long run it is better for your wallet than going out everyday for lunch. The meal you just upsized to large fries (don’t blame you) and added four sides of ranch to definitely empties the wallet, fast. Of course a business lunch can be used as an acceptable excuse to spend money, just don’t make it a habit!

Second, it saves time. We all know that there’s only so much time we have to eat during the work day. How can a thirty minute break felt like a five-minute break? Only the Time Lord knows. So why waste it all in line when you can pop something in the microwave for a few minutes and have instant enjoyment?

Third, it contributes to an overall better balanced diet. Whether you are or aren’t watching what you eat, your body will thank you for one less Big Mac a week (and hopefully your body will thank you for less fast food in general). Also, who hates the way fast food makes them feel? I know I do, and meal prepping will hopefully take that sluggish, gross feeling away.

Lastly, it will relieve your stress. Yes indeed, in the middle of the day instead of worrying and deciding last minute about what to eat, it’s already decided. Now all you have to worry about is the fomo (fear of missing out) you’ll get from thinking of that Big Mac when you’re eating that Caesar salad.

So now that you know why you should meal prep let’s get into the hows. Let’s just do the simplest and most effective way!

Firstly, you need something to store your food in. Any kind of Tupperware works. I would just keep in mind that different meals will fit in different sized containers so make sure to get a variety. Also, if you’re a fan of salad dressings or any type of dipping sauces look for little containers to put those in.

Now, while you’re at the store, it would be a good time to get the ingredients for your meals (if you have your list ready). Don’t forget to buy in bulk, at least enough food for five meals if you’re only planning on prepping for lunch. One of my favorite meals (favorite because it’s easy) baked chicken, rice, and baked broccoli. I won’t tell you how you should cook and season each item on this post because there are just so many different ways.

This meal is easiest because you can throw the chicken and broccoli to bake together and have the rice cook all at the same time. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is that cooked meat is good for about three to four days. So if you plan on cooking Monday and eating Friday you can freeze your meal and it’ll be good to go for you Friday morning.

Once you get your meal cooked and ready divide it into your different containers. Label them, just for aesthetic reasons, and you’re all set!

Have you ever had to work above a coffee shop? Let me tell you, it’s hard, especially working above the reigning champion of best coffee shops in Cheyenne (which is what we have to do here at The Second Floor). Smelling the coffee smelly smells wafting up the stairs everyday is really hard. Hearing them call out those mega delicious drinks and salivating at the thought of an iced 20oz Casa Bonita topped with whipped cream and honey drizzle is hard. [Fun fact of the day: Did you know coffee was invented because of dancing goats? You didn’t? Really? That’s outrageous! Google it, and you’re welcome.] Do you know what’s not hard?

Tea. Tea is easy.

Sure we have delectable teas and Paramount coffee at your disposal in the break room, but none of them quite kick the 3 o’clock hump you find yourself in almost every Monday and Friday in the same way that Yerba Mate will. Usually the first question about Yerba Mate is, what is it? It’s a tea made from dried leaves of an Evergreen Holly, found in the wondrous land of South America. It’s best described as a grassy taste similar to green tea but it definitely is NOT green tea, it’s in it’s own tea category.

Now let’s get to the benefits of Yerba Mate and why it could (and maybe should) replace your daily cup(s) of coffee. Yerba Mate gives you the caffeine energy (yes it still contains caffeine) more smoothly, without the crash. SAY WHAAAA??!! It’s like a rollercoaster that’s flat, keeps going at a steady rate, and doesn’t end for a very, very, very long time. Rather than the coffee rollercoaster that jerks you up that really high ramp and to the other side, going at a slightly dangerous speed, and then stopping immediately after you get down that awful slope. The best part is Yerba Mate won’t effect your sleep like coffee does and most importantly no jitters.

This super tea is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Drink tea when you’re sick? Great, the best tea to drink when your sick? Yerba Mate. Why? Antioxidants. It has high compounds of saponins (this part coming up I totally googled because who the heck knows what a saponin is??). Saponins are natural emulsifiers that boost the immune system and have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Dr. Leslie Taylor has a book, The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs. In that book she lists other many uses of Yerba Mate which include: It’s a digestive aid. Can be used as part of a weight loss plan. Is great as a general nerve tonic for pain, fatigue, and depression. As well as help cure annoying illnesses such as allergies. How can a dried leaf do so much? Magic.

Now why am I turning you off of coffee? I’m not. I’m just offering another great option to get over the 3 o’clock hump in case you have issues going to sleep when you drink that last cup of coffee.

Have you every tried a Super Sayain? Well that’s made with Yerba Mate. For us nerds out there, does it make sense why the drink is called the Super Sayain? It makes you feel so powerful, like a Super Sayain. Just sayin. So keep going down to the Café for your energy and food needs, and try to come up with your own Yerba Mate concoction.

Are you hating the fact that Cinco De Mayo is on a Saturday this year? Yeah me too. That means no low-key office parties…. or does it? The BEST part of it being on a Saturday is that you can have your office party on Friday and still sleep in the next morning without having to worry about waking up AND looking presentable at work the next day (unless someone you know is getting married or has some other significant event).

Step one to having the best low-key office party: Piñatas! Could be dangerous, but don’t fret, piñatas are the best way to relieve that office stress that I’m sure we’ve all been holding in for probably a few years now. What you need is a secluded room, with all the breakable stuff (JK), a piñata, and a really tough stick thing. Have individuals go in and relieve stress for five whacks, and just like taking turns at a long line at a porta potty, one person at a time (this ensures that no one will be harmed in the making of this amazing day). When the piñata breaks, that person must go back to work immediately for ruining the fun of everyone else who didn’t get to relieve their stress. Everyone else is allowed one handful of candy until it is gone. Sugar rush to end the shift strong? I think yes.

How does one set the mood for a low key Cinco De Mayo office party? I’m so glad you asked – music! There’s beautiful apps such as Spotify, Apple music, Pandora, etc. that you can search for party music. There’s no limitations so try searching for: low key party music, chill music, dance music, or mariachi music. Depending on what mood you want, you can find a playlist that will fit all your office party needs!

The most important part of this party is the food! You cannot forget to get everyone involved in a potluck! Mexican food is the perfect theme with the most perfect munchie food options. My personal favorites to include: nachos, street tacos, spicy rice, chips and salsa, chips and queso, taquitos, taco salad, and the list goes on. Each one is super simple to make while also being mega delicious. Well deserved for a work lunch, I think.

Lastly, the most important part of a low key Cinco De Mayo office party: Have fun! Enjoy the company of your coworkers, let go of your dietary restrictions for just this one day, and go home wishing Matt hadn’t broke the piñata on the first try…